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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28821948">Dancing Without Music</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/rl2/pseuds/rl2'>rl2</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Coming Out, Enemies to Friends, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Identity Reveal, Idk happy? We have to see, Kagaminette, Marigami, Poor Kagami, Rivals to Lovers, When your soulmate falls in love with someone else, i love them, oh the angst, when you're in love with your best friend</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:00:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,390</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28821948</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/rl2/pseuds/rl2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Kagami just wanted to enjoy her new school in Paris and join the fencing team. Was that so hard? Now, instead of the peaceful high school experience she expected, she's caught in the middle of a love triangle.</p>
<p>Based off the song "Dancing Without Music" by BRDGS</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Kagami Tsurugi, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Kagami Tsurugi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. from the very first moment i met you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Lol look at me starting new stories while not finishing old ones. haha... so funny. </p>
<p>Hello! I hope you enjoy this!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Striding into the courtyard, Kagami surveyed her opponents. Many of them appeared to be hindered physically, stumbling over their own feet and missing easy shots.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Pathetic competition, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she noted, stepping over the practice mats to make her way to the coach to inform him of her arrival. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As she conducted one more glance over, Kagami sucked in a breath as her eyes landed on who could only be described as the most gorgeous girl she had ever seen. Her epee mask was brought up to show her face, her cheeks glowing a bright pink. She seemed to be nervous, which was expected for a try-out for one of the best fencing teams in Paris. Eyes that shone a light blue squeezed shut as she let out a slight laugh, moving her dark hair out of her face. The girl was talking to someone who motioned for her to continue practicing. Kagami mourned the vision of her mystery girl’s face as she placed her mask into the right position and took an… utterly underwhelming pose.   </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Kagami’s heart sped up nonetheless, beating erratically against her chest. Coughing slightly, her palms grew moist. Whatever she just felt… what was that even called? How could she be expected to adequately try out when she was sick? That’s what this feeling was...  right? She just had a cold. A really fast-acting cold that left her dizzy, hot, and nauseous. It had nothing to do with that girl and everything to do with her skipping her vitamin C tablet that morning. She couldn’t tell her mother that, though. She’d have to power through, then.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, you! Are you Mr. D'Argencourt, the fencing master? I wanna join your team.” She demanded, striding up to him. Trying her best to look intimidating, she placed her hands on her hips.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ignoring his scoff, she sought out the best challenger to prove her worth. Surely that would convince everyone that she was one of, if not THE best, fencer they could have on their team. The person the girl was sparring with stepped forward, pushing up his mask. He smiled at her, pointing at himself.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d be more than happy to fence you,” the boy said, but his tone held a sinister note. How interesting, someone was confident in their ability to match her. So be it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her mystery girl looked between them two, and it took everything Kagami had not to squirm under her stare. She felt like she was on fire, and for the first time ever her custom-made fencing uniform felt too tight. “Very well, let’s commence.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nearly an hour later, Kagami was out of breath as she vigorously defended herself against the blonde’s attacks. While she was expecting to have to fight for her spot, this was everything she loved about her sport. The exhilaration with every close call, the all-or-nothing stakes, the freedom that came with deciding her own attacks.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Their fight moved to the library, where it somehow became even more intense. Right when she thought she finally had him, his sabre touched her torso as well. Biting down a growl of frustration, she looked around for someone to make the call. In front of them, however, was the girl she noticed earlier. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ignoring her sudden light-headedness, she snapped to the girl. “You! Who was hit first? Who?!” Kagami demanded, trying to catch her breath. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The girl looked panicked, eyes widening and lips parting. “I- I’m not sure, everything was going so fast and I-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Mr. D’Argencourt burst into the library, scanning the situation. He, too, turned on the girl. “Who won?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Kagami watched the girl’s hesitation. She shifted from foot to foot, fiddling with her hands and stammering. “Adrien. I think Adrien touched first.” Face falling, Kagami felt her hand clench around her sabre. So his name was Adrien… and he defeated her. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She quickly stuck out her hand for a handshake, projecting the image of an honourable opponent. On the inside, however, the weight of her immense disappointment hit. It was ok, there were other fencing teams in Paris she could try out for. Why did this defeat feel so crushing? Perhaps because there was an audience… or rather, who her audience was.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shaking her head, Kagami willed the thought out of her mind. That girl made the wrong call. She was to blame here, and she certainly had no amicable feelings towards her. Her shame only came from losing, not embarrassment. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She quickly left the school, and everything around her dimmed as the outline of a purple butterfly glowed on her face.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The girl, she soon learned, was Marinette. She was a year younger than her, in Adrien’s class. After being deakumatized by Ladybug and Chat Noir, Adrien had explained the situation to her and cleared up any misunderstandings. He was genuinely friendly, yet seemed familiar. She would have to put the pieces together when she arrived home. For now, she enjoyed the conversation with someone she hoped she could soon call a friend.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“-arinette can get flustered easily. She's kind and means well. She'd never cheat. Today was her first-ever experience with fencing.” Adrien told her, blushing slightly. Snapping back to the conversation, Kagami felt a pit of dread form in her stomach. He seemed awfully fond of Marinette, and it made her uncomfortable.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Biting down her feelings, she found it in herself to smile. “You like her a lot, don’t you?” She asked. What was happening with her today? Why was this conversation so painful for her? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course! She’s a very good friend.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ah. So they were just friends… for now. Something within Kagami hoped it would stay that way, for reasons unknown. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll be happy to get to know her, and you too. You better get ready for that decisive match,” she teased, allowing herself to joke. People liked jokes, it was a good way to break the tension.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After excusing herself to her car to be driven home, Kagami carefully considered her situation. She had never felt anything like this before, but she had read about it in some books her mother let her have for entertainment purposes. It was a crush! That was the weird feeling from earlier. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She tilted her head, considering. Adrien was pretty easy on the eyes, and was kind. She felt jealousy when she saw him and Marinette were close, so that had to be it. It made sense, she supposed. She didn’t feel particularly strongly about him one way or the other when she thought of his face, but it was only her first day of meeting him. Her affection for him would grow with time, and his for her. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Still, something felt incomplete. Her encounter with Marinette kept her up far later than she was allowed to be, as she tossed and turned in her bed. The beautiful girl haunted the insides of her eyelids every time she tried to fall asleep, and Kagami didn’t know what to do. Thinking back, only one conclusion could be drawn. Marinette was her competition, and she needed to be beaten. That was the only reason she could find that explained why her mind wouldn’t leave the girl.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>With that settled, she turned over one final time, intent on sleeping. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She dreamed of a dark-haired fencer pinning her against a wall.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her next encounter with her self-proclaimed rival came in the form of a double date. Odd, but who was she to complain? A date with Adrien was beneficial to her, and would provide an opportunity for them to grow closer.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was a good thing. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Marinette brought some boy with dyed hair and piercings. Not that she cared, of course, she just needed her out of the way of her date with Adrien. She couldn’t stop herself, though, from watching as Marinette was saved from falling by her date. Some irrational part of her mind screamed in rage, wanting to push him away and yell </span>
  <em>
    <span>hands off</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The scene was over as soon as it started, and she noticed Adrien standing in front of her, with his shoes untied.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ll have to be more professional if you want to impress me, Adrien.” She remarked, kneeling down to tie his skates for him. He laughed a little too hard at her quip, and she cast a curious glance up at him. “Are you ok?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Totally fine! I’m perfect.” He coughed, but his red ears betrayed his words. So he was starting to become flustered because of her! Perfect, this was the next step in their relationship. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Kagami led Adrien onto the ice, perfectly gliding along the rink. She did this for fun, and thus naturally felt the need to perfect the craft. She was no figure skater, but out of the four teens present she could take any of them in a competition. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Be prepared, be efficient, be the best.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Turning her head to say something to Adrien, she caught his stare at piercings and Marinette. Narrowing her eyes, her chest spiked once again at the thought of Adrien having amorous feelings for the girl. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you invite because you were scared of being alone with me?” She said, choosing not to voice her real problem.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course not! I just asked Marinette to help me.” He insisted.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her stare turned icy as her head whipped around to the girl in question. “With what?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Um- perfecting my skating skills?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His insecurity about ice skating was well founded, judging by his wobble as she dragged him along. She had expected him to be better, but this was Adrien, after all. He was too soft for his own good. “You don’t need her for that. You have me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>To better emphasize her point, she skated ahead of him, delving into a professional twirl. As she skidded to a stop, Kagami realized her desire to impress Adrien had also caught the eye of the other couple. Looking over her shoulder, she locked eyes with Marinette, who in turn became red and stumbled along. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>So the girl was watching her? That was… cute, she supposed. Wait, cute?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Kagami’s thoughts were interrupted by a man skating up to her and Adrien, advertising his skating lessons. She rolled her eyes, just wanting to be left alone. “He already does fencing with me,” she informed him, taking Adrien’s hand and pushing forward. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Adrien looked back at the man, obviously feeling bad for cutting him off so suddenly. “Hey, what if we-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A soft </span>
  <em>
    <span>thump </span>
  </em>
  <span>came from the other side of the rink, and everyone turned to see Marinette on the floor, rubbing her head. Breath spiking, Kagami watched Adrien </span>
  <em>
    <span>and </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luka rushing to her rescue. Something akin to jealousy rose inside of her chest as she could only focus on </span>
  <em>
    <span>getting Adrien away from her.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Marinette’s eyes flicked between the two boys, obviously having trouble deciding whose hand to accept. Kagami glided towards the scene, pushing the two boys out of the way. Ignoring the odd sense of victory, she quickly took Marinette’s hand and pulled her up. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“The only reason you can't stay on your feet is your hesitation.” She whispered to the girl, leaning in close to her ear. Her lips lightly brushed her cheek as she pulled back, causing both of them to jerk back in surprise. Marinette looked up at her, a mixture of hurt and confusion on her face.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>What else was she supposed to say? It was helpful advice… but not as helpful as it could’ve been. She couldn’t help her competition get together with her crush, anyways. It was as good an encounter as she could’ve hoped for. “I never hesitate.” Kagami told her, fighting down a blush. She turned to Adrien, quirking an eyebrow. “Shall we go?” She grabbed his arm, pulling him away from the girl. They would not be a good couple, it was for the better that he keep his distance from her. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He turned away from her, however, to instead stare at Marinette leaving the rink. “Marinette doesn't look too good. Sorry, Kagami, I have to go check on her.” He left her side, skating after Marinette.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her mind turned from mild annoyance to outrage. Exiting the rink, she stomped over and placed herself on a bench. It was clear Marinette had a crush on him, and yet he continued to go after her. A course of cold spread through her veins, reminding her of the type of person Marinette was.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She clearly didn’t deserve Adrien, she was just a fangirl who couldn’t truly understand what it’s like to be in the spotlight. To have every movement, every action, every relationship examined and scrutinized.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Kagami clenched her fists, letting the feeling of her nails digging into her palm ground her. It would do no good to let her emotions get the best of her. Marinette, as annoying and ungracious as she was, was no more than one more obstacle to overcome. She could deal with it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Before she could think about that any longer, the walls around her started to freeze over, clearly a sign of an akuma.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Great.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. every part of me knew it</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kagami's life in Paris continues, but with almost everyone against her, what is there left for her to do?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Monday morning came once again, and with it, Kagami’s source of annoyance. Marinette was friendly to everyone, it seemed. Well, except for Chloe Bourgeois and a random brown haired girl. Those were understandable, however. Kagami had met both girls and shuddered at the thought of running into them again. One was a compulsive liar who more resembled a leech than a teenage girl, and the other was just… ew.</p>
<p>Kagami had to admit, however, that she was slightly jealous of the group Marinette had formed. She had never been much for friends, let alone a large group of them. So far, Adrien was the only person in Paris she had. She couldn’t complain, though. It would do her no good, and wallowing in her negative emotions would only make her an easy target for Hawk-</p>
<p>Her jaw clenched as she thought of that monster.</p>
<p>Waking up from the trance that was her akumatization was like having a bucket of ice water dropped on you. She felt cold, the kind of cold that ran down to your bones and you couldn’t get rid of. She was an empty vessel for only anger, jealousy, and regret to shine through. She heard Ladybug’s soft speech on how none of it was her fault, and Chat Noir’s admittance that she was an amazing fencing opponent. The words ran right through her, and despite how much she wanted to believe them she just couldn't. There’s something about your actions not being your own, your mind being violated and warped and your ugliest thoughts said aloud that makes you want to hide away from everyone.</p>
<p>Kagami couldn’t allow that to happen, though. To let others know that she was weak, that she had given in to his smooth words, that she admitted defeat. </p>
<p>So instead she carried on with her days.</p>
<p>She followed the same routine everyday without fail. She would work out at 6:20am, eat breakfast at 7:15, attend school at 8:00, go to fencing practice at 3:45, and do homework at 5:00. It was a simple routine, really. Occasionally her mother would bring her to different events, or she would have business classes, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle. </p>
<p>She didn’t have anything- or anyone else- to fill up her schedule with, anyways.</p>
<p>At least, until she formed her friendship with Adrien.</p>
<p>Now, he was inviting her out with his friends, trying to include her in conversations, he even added her to a group chat with his friends in class.</p>
<p>All of it included Marinette.</p>
<p>Most of his friends weren’t unpleasant, that wasn’t the problem. The problem was wherever Adrien was, Marinette was close behind. It was clear how infatuated with him she was, and yet he chose to remain oblivious. Of all the things Kagami had learned about Adrien in the past few weeks, she now understood how loyal he was. If he chose to turn a blind eye on Marinette’s crush to spare her feelings, she had no business intruding. </p>
<p>Marinette seemed to shy away from Kagami after the incident at the ice rink. She didn’t necessarily feel bad about the progression, but it did kind of hurt to see Marinette glare at her when she thought Kagami wasn’t looking. The other girls in Adrien’s class did much the same, so she could only assume they now knew of her. Kagami wasn’t dumb, she heard the whispers of ice queen as she walked down the hall. More and more people viewed her as an emotionless machine, namely Marinette. It was disappointing, especially since Kagami once hoped she could be friends with Marinette.</p>
<p>A few months later, the local news station decided to hold a contest for “Friendship Day”- whatever that was. Even though her mother didn’t allow her to participate in such foolish games, Kagami had signed up. Sure, she wasn’t the best at making friends on her own, but being paired up with someone to solve a common mission? It was the best opportunity she had been given in a while.</p>
<p>Such, she snuck off, cleverly taping her mother’s voice to make their voice-controlled car take her to the first location. Once there, she waited for her ally, preparing herself for the task at hand.</p>
<p>So when Marinette came strolling up, stopping a good distance away and seeming to have an argument with herself, Kagami let out a frustrated groan. Of course fate would place them together, yet again. It felt like the world was against her sometimes. Now she had to deal with a teammate who hated her on top of everything else.</p>
<p>In a word, Marinette was… weird. She was seemingly conversing with herself, flailing about wildly. She had little social etiquette, and seemed to really not want to be here. What else did Kagami expect?</p>
<p>Soon, Marinette seemed to suck it up and make her way over. “Uh… hello? Are you my partner?” She tentatively asked, pointing to her phone.</p>
<p>Kagami glanced over her, giving a curt nod. “It appears I am.”</p>
<p>Marinette put on an obviously phony smile, nodding enthusiastically. “Great! I’m so glad we are going to have this bonding experience!”</p>
<p>“Are you sure? You seemed like you were about to leave before,” Kagami said.</p>
<p>Her eyes grew a little wider at the statement, and Marinette blushed a little. It was a cute look on her, Kagami had to admit. “Um- I thought I had the wrong location, sorry.” she smiled apologetically, but Kagami saw right through it. </p>
<p>How she hated insincerity. </p>
<p>Instead of showing her dislike of the situation, Kagami forced a small smile on her face. “Very well. Let’s look at our next clue.”</p>
<p>Their screens changed to present a slightly more complex riddle, but it was nothing Kagami would have trouble with. It was obvious their next location would be at the Seine, maybe fishing?</p>
<p>“I think this clue means-” Kagami started.</p>
<p>“We must have to go to England!” Marinette offered, nodding enthusiastically. </p>
<p>Ah, so that was her game. She was trying to sabotage their team. </p>
<p>“This isn’t what I meant when I warned you against hesitation,” she shot back, desperately trying to keep her voice monotone.</p>
<p>“What?” Marinette looked at her in surprise. </p>
<p>“It is clear you don’t want to be here, or be friends with me. I’m not even supposed to be doing this, so if all you’re going to do is waste my time, I think I should leave.” Kagami shoved her phone back in her pocket, exiting out of the game. Marinette could continue if she wanted, but it’d have to be alone.</p>
<p>As she walked away from the scene, she kept her hands at her sides, squeezing her eyes shut to force the tears from coming out. Who cried over something like this? Not Kagami. No matter what happened, what people said or did to her, she had to be better. Turn the other cheek, accept every blow as if she brought it on herself. </p>
<p>She could hear Marinette stuttering as she left, obviously trying to find something to say to fix the situation. There was nothing she could say, however.</p>
<p>Kagami opened the car door, and was on her way home before her mother could ever notice she was gone.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>eh this one is kinda short but whatever ! I like it!</p>
<p>Hehe more conflict &gt;:)</p>
<p>Any kudos and comments are appreciated, I hope you enjoyed!</p>
<p>I'll see y'all next time &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Marinette/Kagami is one of my favorite ships in the show. After this chapter I plan to diverge from canon a lot more so if that's not ur thing it's fine!</p>
<p>Is this good? Idk. Gonna post it anyways. might delete and edit later.</p>
<p>Also I do love this song so check it out!! It's super good :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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